WORLD BEATER. . . .Gerry Murphy who won seven gold a bronze and silver medals at the at World Police and Fire games gkfh41
Fermanagh man Gerry Murphy was toast of the World Police and Fire Games as he lifted seven golds, a silver and a bronze in an astounding display of fitness, determination and will to win.
Murphy collected six gold in the canoe sprint events, one gold in lightweight indoor rowing, a silver in heavyweight indoor rowing pairs and a bronze in surf kayak
“It was great. everything came together at the right time and all the training came off,” he explained to the Herald this week.
Murphy, who is a veteran of these Games competing in his fifth, revealed that ‘it was great to have the games at home. It meant you could train right up to the end and there was no worry about travel.”
And although all the medals are precious to Murphy he sis admit that the lightweight over 50’s indoor gold that he picked up in the lightweight row.
Murphy completed the 2000m meter row on the concept 2 rower in 6 minutes 55.3 seconds.
“I was really pleased with that, it was a new games record so that was an added bonus.”
Murphy says that he is ‘going to take a little rest for a while’ but that if ‘fit and healthy’ will be going to Fairfax, Virginia in the United States for the next Games in 2015.
And Murphy expects the competition to be even more fierce in two years time;
“Every games it is getting harder and the standard is getting higher,” he declared.
Elsewhere at the Games fellow Fermanagh competitor Robbie Bryson collected two gold for short and long course orienting. He was the fastest in middle distance event but missed a station and got disqualified. Bryson also claimed gold in the mountain run winning outright and picked up a silver in the cycle hill climb.
Donal Carron suffered frustration in the ‘Toughest Competitor Alive’ competition where a calf strain in the 5000 meters hindered his chances but he still finished a highly creditable 12th.
Michael Curran had a top 15 finish in the ultimate firefighter and was in contention until a trip on the stairs on the 3rd discipline saw him fall and injure his knee and lose valuable time